Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me, so please don't sue me.

I. AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR

"Dad, I'll be right back, okay? I'm just gonna swing by the cafeteria and pick up some lunch, I'm starving."

Jack looked up at his daughter, a faint smile playing across his lips. "Alright, sweetie."

"Do you want me to grab you something? I mean, I know the food the hospital is giving you must be wonderful, but…" Again Jack smiled, and shook his head lightly.

"That's alright."

"You sure?" Kim asked, walking up to her father's bedside and letting her hand rest on his blankets.

"Positive."

"Alright, then. I'll be back in a flash." Kim leaned down and planted a light kiss on her father's forehead before making her way out the door. The events of the past three days had been tough on the both of them, and it turned out in a way Jack never would have expected. Instead of him being the valiant knight whisking his daughter away to safety, she was the one caring for him. He certainly wasn't expecting it to be like this for many, many, many years.

Too lost in his thoughts, Jack didn't even notice the woman standing at his doorway.


"Um…Jack…?" The sound of the woman's voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he turned his gaze towards her. "Hi."

"Kate." Jack said, trying to prop himself up from his lying position, but failing as his look of surprise quickly changed into a painful grimace. Kate immediately rushed to his side, placing what she was holding on the cushioned chair beside his bed. She put a hand on his shoulder, and another on his arm and helped him settle back in.

Jack laughed bitterly before shaking his head, "I don't think I'll ever get used to this."

"Well, hopefully you won't have to." Kate said with a smile as she turned around to pick up her things, and pull the chair closer to his bedside. Jack took a deep breath before turning his head to look at her. They had been through so much that day. Day: they had only known each other for three days. Unbelievable.

"What's all that?" He asked, motioning his head towards the flowers and newspaper in her hands.


"Well, after all that you did for me – and the nation, for that matter – I felt like the least I could do was get you some flowers to liven this place up a bit." She smiled brightly as she placed them on the table beside his bed.

"Thank you, you really didn't have to." Jack replied, shaking his head. Kate looked at him, somewhat bewildered, she placed the newspaper beside the flowers, then leaned towards him.

"Jack, if it wasn't for you, I'd be dead right now."

"If it wasn't for you, we'd all be dead right now."

Kate leaned back and stared at Jack in absolute shock. After everything that happened – all that he did to first find the bomb, then destroy it, then bring a war that would have cost millions of lives due to false pretenses to a stop, he credited her. It blew her mind. She laughed dryly.

"I highly doubt that."


"I don't."

She looked at his weak form intently. It was strange to see this man who had proven to be virtually indestructible in the face of complete and utter destruction in such a vulnerable form. As much as she hated to use his injuries to her advantage, it did make what she was about to say less intimidating.

"Jack. The real reason I came here was because—" She stopped in mid-sentence, unsure as to how she should approach what she had to say. There was no possible way it could come out even remotely sane, given the circumstances. No chance in Hell.


"Was because…" Jack repeated her trailed off sentence, waiting for her to continue. "Kate, is something wrong? If there is just tell me and I'll make sure—"

"No, Jack, nothing's wrong. Everything is fine. Or, at least I think so…" Jack looked at her, slightly confused.

"Kate…?"

"Why did you agree when I told you I could pick up Kim from the Mathesons' house?" She asked abruptly. At that precise moment, Kim approached the door, but stopped at the sound of her name. She slowly crept to the doorway and peered in. She kept her gaze fixed on her father and Kate – who was sitting beside him, leaning towards the edge of his bed – and she listened.

"What? I trust you, Kate. I knew it wouldn't be dangerous and it wouldn't be a problem. I needed a way to get Kim to CTU and you were my only chance."

"But that's exactly what I mean. Why do you feel like you can trust me? I mean, we had known each other for less than a day – and even now I've only known you a couple of days, yet I still…"

"You still what?"

Kate shook her head and tilted it, smiling sadly.  "Jack," she started, shaking her head, "I don't even know how I'm going to say this…"

"Just say it, Kate."

Suddenly, a wave of doubt struck Kate. How could she do this? Merely days after their ordeal and Jack's heart attack, she just comes waltzing into the hospital, ready to declare everything without even a thought into how wrong it may be. Wrong – that's exactly what it was. Wrong. Plain and simply.

And with that thought, Kate leaned closer to his bed and grabbed his hand.

"Jack, you did more for me and my family than we could have ever asked for. You saved our lives, you saved the lives of millions, and above all, you kept your promise. You didn't let anything happen to me when it could have just been easier to let it go. You protected me and you kept me safe, and…and…I just wanted to let you know that I'm eternally grateful. You are a truly amazing man, Jack Bauer."

Jack didn't know how to respond, but he didn't have to. Before he was able to put a sentence together, Kate had stood up, gave him a brief peck on the cheek, then made her way out of the room.

Kim quickly took a few steps backwards as she heard Kate approaching the door, and began walking towards her father's room.

"Oh, Kim, hi." Kate said, smiling sadly.

"Kate, what a surprise. You here to see my father?" She asked, not hiding her suspicion very well. Kate looked at the ground as she ran her hand through her hair. She nodded her head slowly, then looked up at Kim.

"Yeah, just saying my thank yous and goodbye."

"Goodbye?"

Kate nodded her head before walking over to Kim and pulling her into a hug. "I know I didn't really get to know you very well and I know that you're skeptical about how your father knows me, but I just want to tell you that I'm so happy you're safe and back with your father again. Take care of him, won't you?"

"Of course," Kim said, slightly thrown off by the sudden display of emotion from this woman she hardly knew. Kate pulled away and Kim could have sworn she wiped a tear away before turning to face the hall that lead to the exit.

"Bye Kim."

"Bye Kate."

FIN I